1 Samuel 18:1-30
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine,a that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said,b They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiantc for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.d
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.e
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.f
1 Samuel 18:4. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David. This was the highest mark of favour he could show him, and it is still esteemed as such in the oriental courts. Travenier's Travels.
1 Samuel 18:6. Instruments of music. Hebrews שׁלשׁים shalashim, as in the margin, three stringed instruments, sistrums, or pandrums touched with the fingers, as among the Spaniards: but the Chaldee and the LXX read cymbals.
1 Samuel 18:7. Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. This is a triumphant song, or at least the chorus or burthen of one, similar to that which Miriam and the women sung. Exodus 15:20.
1 Samuel 18:8. Saul was very wroth. He began to be very jealous that they would soon place David on the throne of Israel, as they now so highly magnified him above their king.
1 Samuel 18:11. Saul cast the javelin at David; a species of sceptre, with a spear point at the end. The thyrsus of Bacchus was both a sceptre and a spear, entwined with leaves of the vine. Saul's was a wicked act of melancholy, cunning and malice.
1 Samuel 18:13. Saul removed him from him. Disappointed in his intent to kill David, Saul determined to remove him from the court; and instead of commanding in the guards, as he had done before, made him a captain of another troop, where he hoped he might be slain in some expedition, or he himself have an opportunity of taking away his life.
There is an ancient version of these two foregoing Chapter s, viz. the Vatican, which appears to have been made from a Hebrew copy which had none of the many verses which are here supposed to be interpolated, and not genuine; which whoever considers, will find the accounts there given regular, consistent, and probable. ”As the nature of this work requires brevity, suffice it just to enumerate some of the verses that are supposed to have been inserted by some transcriber. Those who choose to examine these Chapter s further, may pursue Mr. Pilkington's excellent remarks on the passages of sacred scripture, page 62; and Mr. Kennicott's dissertation. See index to the texts. The first passage, which is not translated in the Vatican copy, is no less than twenty verses; viz. from the 11th to the 32nd verse of chapter 17., containing an account, which if seriously examined, will not carry much probability along with it. Without these verses the connection stands thus: 1 Samuel 17:11, When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 1 Samuel 17:32, Then David said unto Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. No connection can be more proper. The next passage omitted in the Vatican copy is the 41st verse, though not specified by Mr. Pilkington; and then the 50th, which seems to be a needless recapitulation. The next interpolation is of nine verses; viz. the four last of chap. 17. and the five first of chap. 18. Leave these out, and the connection is entire, and the whole account consistent. 1 Samuel 17:51. David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put his armour in his tent. 1 Samuel 18:6. And as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out. The other verses of chap. 18. which are supposed not to be genuine, are the 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 30th. On the whole, the Vatican copy is looked upon as the genuine translation of this part of David's history.” Dr. Wall's critical notes. Bishops Warburton, Hall, Horsley and others do not admit any interpolation, but merely a confusion in the arrangement; the interlocutory passages having been misplaced. After these latter critics, Mr. Townsend thus arranges his HARMONY: 1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 17:1; 1Sa 18:1-10; 1 Samuel 16:14, and forward.
1 Samuel 18:19. Merab, Saul's daughter, was given to Adriel. This was a breach of covenant before the battle; so Samson was treated. Judges 15. How excellent was David's piety in abstaining from revenge. By this princess David might have had sons, who would have claimed the throne. It might also have interfered with the wiser designations of heaven to give the kingdom to Solomon. All things work for good to those who love God.
1 Samuel 18:21. I will give him Michal, that she may be a snare to him; a snare for his life; a Delilah, a Cleopatra. This was strange counsel: he hated David more than he loved his daughter.
REFLECTIONS.
The fall of Goliath had distinguished David's character, and unfolded the greatness of his soul. Jonathan had been equally distinguished by defeating the Philistines garrison, and spreading the panic through all their host. Jonathan was a man of sound heart and noble mind: and it is real merit which knows best how to appreciate merit. Hence his soul was knit to David's, for they were congenial souls; the bonds were pure, and lasting as life and immortality. And how preferable was this love to the gnawing jealousy of Saul. How happy it tended to make Jonathan, while envy made his father wretched. Grace makes the soul noble; it tramples on hatred, envy and jealousy, to taste the pleasures of spotless friendship and of equal love.
But while the son is distinguished by a most virtuous friendship, the father is distinguished by the basest treasons and plots for David's destruction; by a shameful breach of public faith in giving his daughter to another, and by a murderous hypocrisy in giving David promotion and partial command, solely with a view to procure his death. Ah, Saul, thy counsel shall not stand; the persecuted shall rise, and thou shalt fall; for the spirit of glory is departed from thee, and rested on him. Caleb, whose faith gave Achsah to Othniel, shall make thy perjury ashamed; yea, thine own conscience shall so confound thee that thou shalt be compelled to give him another daughter, though against thy will. So God is the defence of those who trust in his name. David at length received the princess who loved him for his virtues.
Christians should be cautious how they oppose and injure a young man of piety, of talents, and rising excellence in the church: let them neither spoil him by flattery, nor degrade him by unavailing efforts of envy and malice.